What is in a name?

Picking out a person's name that they will carry and own up to the rest of his/her life is a daunting and exciting task. Of course the husband and I had some top names for each gender prior to finding out the sex of the baby. However, the husband starting calling our baby a name before we ever found out the gender. So after we did in fact find out it was a boy, the name pretty much stuck.

Who would have thought deciding how to spell a name would be even more stressful than choosing the name. Going with the nontraditional American spelling was something that was very important to the husband while the practical side of me worried about people butchering the pronunciation and misspelling it all the time. I prayed and prayed about this and did the only logical thing, Facebook messaged someone I don't know with that spelling and asked his perspective!

I know this is crazy, but you won't believe the response I got...
Hey Danielle!
Thanks for contacting me.. So chances are it will be butchered from time to time (as mine was), and when he spells his name people will say, "what?! Really?". But I will also say that I love my name.. I like how unique it is, I like that it's spelled differently. I feel that God had intended for me to have a name that sets me apart, and I'm thankful that my parents were obedient to that. Hope this helps!

I mean WOW! How could I turn away from a very obvious answering to my prayer. 

So when our little boy is old enough to understand it, I will share this note with him and show him how God revealed his name to us. 

So his name is...

Graeme
(pronounced Graham)

You know like the Irish golfer. (it is fun when you say it in an Irish accent as well!)

Graeme McDowell via

 I get to see my little Teddy Graeme tomorrow on our 20 week sonogram! Oh yes we have hit our Bon Jovi moment  - "Whooah, we're half way there ..... Livin' on a prayer."

Danielle R.